Sunshine Coast Council wants to hear from volunteers interested in becoming adult literacy tutors in 2012.

2012 is National Year of Reading and Sunshine Coast Libraries and the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation are supporting the adult literacy tutor training program.

Nearly half of the Australian population can’t read newspapers, follow a recipe, make sense of timetables or understand the instructions on a medicine bottle.

Volunteers can complete an accredited training course and help increase literacy standards on the Coast.

Anyone can become a volunteer literacy tutor and complete the accredited training.

The training provides volunteers with the tools and information required to help community members improve their literacy.

The first training course starts at Kawana on 13 February 2012 and the second training course starts after Easter.

To become a volunteer literacy tutor, collect an information pack from council and complete the application form. There are limited spaces on the course and applicants will be interviewed prior to commencing the training.